Yesterday's Destiny
by L. Travis Hoffman
Summary: A temporal disturbance hurls the crew of the Enterprise into the middle of a galactic civil war.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

_Captain's log, stardate 2267.41. Having just returned from shore-leave, the crew is reinvigorated and ready. Yet for some reason I'm having anxieties which I don't quite understand._

**USS Enterprise**

"Steady as she goes, Mr. Sulu," Captain James T. Kirk instructed his helmsman, Hikaru Sulu. He gripped the armrests of his chair but quickly stopped upon realizing it. _Get a grip, Jim._

"Captain," a low, stolid voice called out.

Kirk swiveled his chair to face his science officer. "Yes, Mr. Spock?"

"The sensors are detecting what appears to be an approaching star."

"'Appears'?"

"It shares much of the same characteristics of a white dwarf with one distinguishing feature. It is crystalized," Spock explained. "I'd advise against any close proximity."

The ship suddenly rocked violently. Kirk swore under his breath. "It looks like we don't have much of a choice. Mr. Sulu, evasive maneuvers."

"Aye, Captain."

_Now I know where that anxiety's coming from. _

The ship shook again, followed by a sharp pull backward. "The star is emitting high levels of radiation and increasing its gravitational pull," Spock relayed.

"Warp speed, Mr. Sulu," Kirk ordered frantically. Sweat was beading from his forehead as the ship tossed furiously more and more by the second, a scraping, screeching sound blaring through the hull.

"It's not responding!" Sulu shouted over the noise.

The _Enterprise_ was drawn into the crystal star. Radiation cascaded over the starship, deadly yet beautiful in its purple and green shaking. Then the shaking had abruptly stopped. The screeching had silenced. Kirk's eyes darted across the bridge, confirming that his crew were in one piece. He contacted engineering, "Report."

"She's been run pretty ragged, sir-" Chief Engineer Montgomery Scott answered.

"Can we warp?" Kirk interrupted.

"Aye, but I'll need a few hours."

"Do it then."

"What the hell is going on!?" a voice barked from the back of the room. Dr. McCoy had just stormed in.

"Not now, Bones," Kirk said. "Spock, where are we?"

"Unknown," Spock replied. "The ship's database can find no match of this star system. More importantly, our instruments have determined a backward distortion in space-time."

"How far back?"

"Unknown," Spock answered.

Bones rolled his eyes in response. "Great. You tell the science officer to do a simple job like tell us where we are and all he can answer is 'a long time ago, in a galaxy far away'."

"Unknown at_ present_, Doctor," Spock elaborated. "By my calculations, we could be several billion years into the past."

Kirk rubbed his temples as he took everything in. Rising to his feet, he started to the turbolift. "Bones, Spock. Come with me. Mr. Sulu, you have the conn."

...

"You look awful, Jim," McCoy said as soon as they entered the briefing room.

"Never mind that," Kirk replied. He turned to Spock. "Any ideas?"

"As I stated before, we are in unknown territory," Spock said. "Logic dictates that we would collect more data before taking any course of action."

"Such as?" McCoy asked, a tinge of sarcasm in his voice.

"Locating habitable planetoids might provide us with insight."

"Assuming the locals are intelligent, of course," Kirk added. "We're walking a thin line, here. If we're as far back in time as you say, Spock, we risk interfering with a planet's development."

"It may only be necessary to obtain natural materials from the planet. It would aid in making my calculations."

"Well, whatever you decide to do, do it quick," McCoy muttered.

A pleasant whistling sound announced the room's communicator. "Captain, please come to the bridge," Sulu said.

"Something wrong?" Kirk asked.

"It'd be better if you saw for yourself."

The viewscreen displayed a violet-colored planet. Orbitting the world were hundreds of factories and starships under construction or repair. "Have they attempted contact?" Kirk asked.

"No, sir," Uhura, communications officer, replied.

Kirk calmly nodded, not taking his eyes off the viewscreen. "Keep a safe distance, Mr. Sulu. We don't want to give the wrong impression." Several smaller spacecraft emerged from the belly of one of the orbitting vessels. "Starfighters?" Kirk thought aloud.

"Sir, we're being hailed," Uhura said.

"On screen," he instructed.

The viewscreen switched to the image of a human male in a gray military uniform. "Shuttle, you are in a restricted zone. Identify yourself immediately."

"This is Captain Kirk of the _Enterprise_," Kirk answered.

The approaching starfighters unleashed green bolts of energy at the _Enterprise_. The attack jolted the ship, though the shields had held.

**Star Destroyer Apocalypse**

Captain Bao Deshekk had ordered the deployment of a TIE fighter squadron on the intruding starship. After unleashing a warning shot on the_ Enterprise_, the ship's captain, Kirk, quickly responded. "We have no hostile intent," Kirk said, his voice firm. "We're on an exploration mission."

Deshekk felt a muscle in his face twitch. "An exploration vessel with a torpedo armament? I find that unlikely. You will be taken into custody. Lower your shields and prepare for a boarding party."

He watched Kirk on the viewscreen as he quietly consulted one of his officers, a humanoid of a species Deshekk did not recognize. "We'll cooperate. The transporter room will be standing by."

_Transporter room? _ "Do not deviate from your course." Cutting off the transmission, he gave the order to prepare troopers.

...

"I hope you know what you're doing," Bones quietly said to Kirk.

"We'll play by their rules for the time being," Kirk said. He switched on the ship's comm and relayed the intent for surrender.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

**Star Destroyer Apocalypse**

**Hangar**

The entire crew of the Enterprise were lined up in the hangar, hands on their heads. The commanding stormtrooper shoved Kirk forward, meeting Captain Deshekk. "We've come quietly and without incident. I'm requesting to speak with your superior."

Deshekk looked on Kirk with disdain. "The governor would speak with you. For the time being, however, you shall be detained."

**Detention Block**

**Cell Block AT-2349**

Kirk paced in his cell. Even with the tight quarters, he really wished that he had Spock and Bones with him. By estimation, he had been there for at least three hours and it didn't appear that things were about to change.

**Cell Block AT-2351**

Spock sat quietly with his eyes closed, as if in a trance. McCoy sat a few feet away, his arms folded and a scowl on his face. "How can you being sleeping at a time like this?" he said.

"I noticed an unusual sound as we were being taken to our cell. I'm attempting to locate its source. It may aid us, should the need to escape arise."

"You mean, like a vent?"

"No. The sparking of a severed wire. Most likely unnoticed by maintenance," Spock said, finally opening his eyes. Standing on the bench, he saw a cluster of a wires along a narrow lip leading to an air shaft. One of them was giving off a faint, erratic buzz. Squeezing his hand through the lip, he reached for the wire with no luck. He thought briefly, and then removed the Starfleet badge from his uniform. Trying again, he managed to hook the edge of the badge around the wire and pulled it toward him. His eyes shot toward the door, alert. He quickly dropped to the floor and returned to the bench just as a pair of stormtroopers arrived at the door.

"Get up," one of the troopers said, using his gun to gesture toward the corridor outside.

**Governor's Mansion, Fondor**

The mansion was massive, stretching well over a mile. Covered in a black reflective surface, it looked more like a stone obelisk chistled out into shape rather than an actual building.

As the the stormtroopers led Kirk, Bones, and Spock into the mansion, they walked through a corridor lined with a variety of antique weapons and armors through the ages. "Quite the decor," Kirk mused. Finally, they had reached the governor's quarters.

Governor Tega was not what Kirk had expected. He was short, barely five feet tall. Slender, but muscular. His olive-toned skin contrasted with his brilliant green eyes. His hair, what little was left, was cropped short.

The governor looked up from his datapad and studied the prisoners for a moment. "Leave us," he ordered the troopers. Once the door closed behind them, the governor allowed himself to relax. "Explorers, eh? When last I heard, the Department of Exploration was directing funds toward other endeavors," he said. He examined the schematics of the _Enterprise_ with increasing interest. "The weapon systems aboard your starship are unfamiliar to our technicians and I've received no orders regarding their testing. Why are you here?"

"We're not with the Department. We're privately funded," Kirk lied.

Tega was unconvinced. He feigned a smile and continued, "Hmm. Well, your starship has me intrigued, to say nothing of those who work here. For the time being, your _Enterprise _will be under our possession."

"And us?"

"You and your crew will remain in our custody. You will, I trust, be cooperative as it will ensure the safety of your crew."

Kirk heard a _click_, followed by the clatter of metal. He looked over to see the Spock's hand binders on the floor.

Tega reached for his blaster pistol too late. Spock leapt at the governor and, with one hand, applied pressure to the base of his neck. Tega collapsed, unconscious. Spock took the governor's gun.

"Nice work," Kirk said as Spock unlocked his binders. He rubbed his wrists, getting back circulation. Spock gave him the blaster pistol.

"I don't mean to be a wet blanket," McCoy said. "But we're in the middle of a lion's den."

"We haven't much time," Spock said, working furiously on the governor's datapad. "The governor has a private shuttle, not far from here."

"Are you proposing we _leave_ the crew behind?" McCoy scoffed.

"If we remain here, there may be no crew left," Spock replied. He looked to Kirk for approval. The captain sighed, "Something tells me that you had this planned from the start."

"I determined it the most logical course of action, Captain."

Something about the way Spock said _captain _gave Kirk the impression that the Vulcan was attempting to appeal to his ego. He shrugged off the thought just as quickly. "Let's get the hell out of here."


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Two stun bolts from Kirk's blaster pistol rendered the pair of stormtroopers incapacitated. Spock and McCoy took the troopers' blaster rifles. "The trooper armor will allow us to move about without suspicion," Spock said.

"But there's only two," McCoy said. "I don't know about you, but I have no desire to squeeze into one with somebody." Spock raised an eyebrow at McCoy's attempt at humor. "I've taken this into account. As a Vulcan soldier would expose our escape, I will be the prisoner you are escorting." Kirk looked at McCoy with an amused expression. "Spock, is there anything else you've planned that you can share with us?" Kirk asked. Spock examined the floorplan from the datapad, not looking up at Kirk. "Not as of yet, Captain," he answered.

Spock the captive stood a step ahead of his armored compatriots, his hands in binders. "The south corridor has a turbolift that leads up to the governor's hangar," he whispered to Kirk. The helmeted Kirk nodded.

Kirk looked over at McCoy, who's gait came off as a little too casual for an Imperial stormtrooper. He couldn't help but smile. "Bones, walk like a soldier not a doctor," Kirk said. McCoy shrugged and adjusted himself. "A little hard when your armor is two sizes too big," he muttered.

Up ahead were a group of troopers congregating. Kirk strained to hear their conversation, but it sounded like they were discussing some kind of game called sabacc. As the three of them were passing the troopers, they acknowledged one another with a nod. Once a good distance away, McCoy sighed. "Thank God for lax security," he said.

"Halt," a voice called out from behind them. The trooper captain caught up to Kirk and McCoy. "We've just been put on alert," the captain said. "Three captives escaped. Looks like you got lucky." The trooper captain laughed.

"We're taking this one to be interrogated," Kirk said, shoving Spock forward to sell the ruse. "We'll find the other two, one way or another."

"Good work," the captain said. "As you were." With those words, the three men continued on toward the turbolift, gradually increasing the pace of their footsteps. As they stepped inside the turbotlift, they saw the group of stormtroopers sprinting toward them. "It's them!" the trooper captain said. "Blast them!"

The door to the turbolift closed just in time to shield the three men from blaster fire. Kirk unlocked Spock's binders and gave him a blaster. "Looks like we'll have to shoot our way out," Kirk said. Spock looked at the datapad he had concealed. "This is the governor's shuttle," Spock said, showing Kirk and McCoy an image of the starship. Kirk was sweating profusely again. His hand gripped the blaster rifle tight. _Here's hoping that it's close by, not to mention fueled and ready._

A jade-colored protocol droid was there to greet the three escapees as they broke into the ship. "Good day, gentlemen. I am KV-3PO, human-cyborg relations. How might I assist you?" Kirk fired a few blasts, taking out two stormtroopers outside before answering, "We need to get this ship in orbit!"

Kayvee, the name which the droid was frequently called, tilted his head quizzically. "I'm sorry, sir. This starship is the property of Governor Tega. I cannot allow this ship to leave dock without his authorization."

"Governor Tega gave us permission to use this ship," Kirk lied.

A blaster bolt from a troopers struck Kirk between the shoulder blades. The captain fell forward onto Kayvee, nearly knocking the droid over. Spock returned fire, hitting the trooper in the helmet with pin-point accuracy. Spock quickly closed the hatch to the ship. "I require your assistance," Spock told the droid as he started toward the cockpit. McCoy laid Kirk down and checked his vitals. "I could use some help here!" Kayvee looked back and forth between Spock and McCoy. "I'm afraid I have no idea what's going on!"

"We're trying to get off the planet. Now help one of us and shut up already!" McCoy yelled.

"I suppose I would be of more assistance at the cockpit," Kayvee concluded, going to Spock.

"I'm unfamiliar with this technology," Spock said. Kayvee tilted his head quizzically. "Very well. Allow me to assist you," the droid said as it began flipping switches and activating the ship's engines. A laser blast struck the ship's exterior, causing the power to falter for a moment. "Oh my," Kayvee said. "Are you certain Governor Tega authorized this transport for travel?" Spock continued studying the controls, quickly absorbing knowledge of the ship's mechanics. "We do nothing without reason," Spock said, taking hold of the steering yoke and lifting off. The governor's ship roared as it speared into orbit, leaving the Imperial base far behind. TIE fighters quickly followed after, unleashing laser bolts on the escaping starship. "Spock! What's taking you so long?" McCoy shouted down the corridor. "I'm attempting to locate a planet with minimal Imperial presence, Doctor," Spock replied as he skimmed through the datapad's astrogation chart. The planet Derra IV caught his eye and he made the appropriate calculations. "All is ready, KV-3PO," Spock said. The droid activated the ship's hyperdrive, hurling them faster than light itself.


End file.
